The Canavar

Chapter 27: The Sword

The canavar descended in an undulating pattern, although the wave didn't seem as powerful as when it raced across the sky. It slowed as it came down. Finally the tail touched down near the edge of the woods opposite of the ruins from them, and the rest of the body laid out flat with the head touching down last.

Johnny ducked down and covered his head as did the others. A natural, although unhelpful, reaction to seeing something huge about to squash them.

It didn't come down on top of them though, and it did not skid at all after it was down. It totally stuck the landing, but it did brush up against the truck as it came down, and the truck slid sideways about two feet. Johnny and the others scooted over with it as it got pushed aside. They held their breaths, but their motion did not trigger a response from the canavar.

The four remained just as frozen as the monster that was just the truck's width away from them. The canavar could just as well have been some huge ice sculpture for all of its activity since it had landed.
It had laid itself out in a straight line and had to be not short of a hundred yards long. They stood closer to its front end than its tail end, but its upper surface towered over them. Johnny felt like an ant in comparison. How did he ever think that he could do anything to hurt this monster – even if he found the sword? It would be like taking down a wild elephant with a cat whisker. It just did not seem possible.

Kristen caught his eye. "What?" he whispered and then glanced back at the canavar. He breathed a sigh when it did not move.

Seeing that his whisper did not trigger the monster, Kristen got braver and whispered, "That sword is not here."

Johnny frowned, but he couldn't disagree. Perhaps that sprite had led him on a wild goose chase after all. Perhaps he was just some pawn in its overall plan.

"We should make a run for it. It's facing that way." Kristen pointed toward its front end. "So we should run the other way. It'll at least have to turn around before it can come after us."

Johnny stared at the motionless giant worm next to them. Then a billowy white cloud that had blocked the sun drifted past, and the sun shined down brightly on them. Johnny caught a glint through a hole in the floorboard of the truck next to him.

He stared into the truck and through the hole in the floor. There rested the sword. Johnny realized the canavar must have bumped up against the truck before and pushed it aside. Perhaps, numerous times, eventually leaving it on top of the sword.

"You three, go," Johnny said. He did not whisper. The canavar shook for a moment next to them. Sort of a vibration over its entire length.

Kristen narrowed her eyes at him. "And what about you?"

Spying the sword gave Johnny fresh confidence that Wisp had not led him to the island out of malice. There had to be a purpose for the sword. For him being there. "I have unfinished business." The monster again shook. This time more vigorously. "Now go! But spread out."

"What's this about?" Kristen asked.

The canavar shivered again, more strongly.

"The sword," Johnny said. "We're running out of time. Get the heck out of here." He shoved Shawn and Dan.

They and Kristen took the hint and bolted toward the ruins and the woods beyond. Dan ran straight back parallel to the canavar while Shawn and Kristen both veered to the right. Then Kristen veered left.

The canavar's front end lifted off the ground and swung up and over Johnny's head. The monster arced toward where Kristen and Shawn ran, and then it slammed down hard onto the ground. They had not run past the reach of the monstrous worm.